The Dreams We Share
Chapter 14 Guests from Hope Valley
It was Sunday morning and she had dressed for church before descending to the dining room for breakfast. She entered to find her aunt and uncle drinking tea as they waited for her. On the sideboard was a beautiful bouquet of roses in the same blush color that she had received from Lucas after the Governor's Ball. The first time there had been one with his note "Singularly beautiful," it had said. She walked over to open the note that came with her gift,
"With growing affection"
LB
After last night it was clear that their chemistry was sizzling …. but, more importantly, they liked one another and her affection for him was quickly growing. She was both floating and the feeling was heavenly.
She took a plate and selected from the breakfast buffet and then took her seat. "Good morning," she said.
Her aunt and uncle returned her greeting and then Mary followed it with, "I take it your evening went well?"
"Yes, we had a lovely dinner and then danced to live music. Lucas is a very good dancer. It was, indeed, a pleasant evening," she tried to sound casual but the dreamy look on her face gave her away.
Her aunt smiled to herself, and her uncle looked over his newspaper at his wife to give her a reminder to watch herself. He was secretly pleased that his niece was enjoying her new friendship with Bouchard. He was a fine young man who he had a growing affection for, to add to the respect he had for his abilities.
"Lucas' friend Allie will be returning to town for a visit with the Petersons Wednesday evening; she will be staying until Monday."
"How nice that she and Candace will have time to get to know one another before school starts."
"Yes, it is. She will be bringing a young boy with her that will be staying with Lucas. He is the son of a friend of his and they are pen pals. Allie and Constance will watch over him during the day until Lucas is free on the weekend."
"That is interesting," she said clearly wondering more about the story behind it. But Arawyn did not elaborate, and she knew she would be scolded for snooping, so she kept silent.
"I will be meeting him, Jack is his name, on Thursday. Lucas will be helping serve again and will be bringing Jack with him," she told her aunt.
"That sounds wonderful. Perhaps I will stop by as well." She was eager to learn more about Lucas and his little friend.
Lucas was anxiously waiting for tomorrow evening when he would pick up Allie and Jack at the train station. Apparently, Robert had been unable to take a day from work, but Bill had offered to bring them.
He had seen Arawyn once since their dance but only for a brief meeting when he had brought by some macarons that Gustave had made for the Petersons and Hastings. Arawyn was preparing to present a paper on Wednesday at the university and was absorbed in her work. He was hoping to attend as he was anxious to see her in her professional element. Just another side to learn about this amazing woman.
"Arawyn, would it be okay with you if I attended your lecture on Wednesday? I won't if it will make you nervous," Lucas told her.
"Yes, feel free to attend. You might find it rather boring, but I do not mind. One day, I hope to see you in action. I bet you are an amazing orator."
"Well I don't know about amazing….. but I will let you know the next time that I give a speech that I can invite you to. And thank you for letting me come to listen to your presentation. It is just one more side to you I hope to know. I am so sorry, but I must go. Gustave asked me to drop off the macarons, but I will be late for a meeting if I don't hurry."
"Lucas, no apology needed. I do not want to interfere with your work, so you just have to tell me, "She said.
She had a strand of hair that had fallen from her bun. He reached out and smoothed it back and then rested his palm on her cheek his thumb barely touched the edge of her lower lip. She had a beautiful mouth; he found himself staring at it often thinking what it would be like to touch his mouth to hers. He kept his hand on her cheek and looked directly into her eyes. "I thank God for bringing you into my life; no one is perfect, but I have yet to discover where you fall short. Even if and when I do, I think you could be perfect for me," he told her. He dropped his hand to her arm, right below her shoulder and leaned in to kiss her softly on the forehead. "Until we meet again, Arawyn MacKenna," he said and then turned to find his own way out.
Arawyn stood there, absorbing the feelings he had left her with. She knew in her heart that he was the perfect one for her. "I love you, Lucas Bouchard," she whispered to the space he had occupied.
On Wednesday, he made his way to the university lecture hall where Arawyn would be speaking. He brought with him a single rose to give to her afterward. It was covered with floral paper at the moment, so it wasn't so obvious. She would get the message that he intended. The rose was a deep red.
Her talk was one in a series on the rise of feminism in literature and she was discussing the work "The Voyage Out' published in the past decade by a rising author Virginia Woolf. He found it an interesting coincidence and had yet to tell her he had met the author soon after the publication. She spoke about its unique narrative style and at length about the motifs and themes of the work. It was in fact a riveting lecture and not just because he favored the speaker, it gave him more insight into the book that he had found difficult to read. He thought with this new perspective he might try it again. After her talk had concluded, she entertained questions. There were a few and he debated about asking but finally did. She gave him the floor.
"I have two questions, my first relates to the emphasis on gender in the novel. "Evelyn had a general disdain for men. In one part she says that we are in essence "beasts". When Rachel falls in love with Terrance, she seems to be accepting because, and I quote, 'he has a feminine side'. Is this, in your opinion, that kindness or gentleness in a man is exhibiting a female quality? "
She thought for a moment, "No, I don't think to be gentle or kind is inherently female, but, I think men are taught this as small boys. They are taught to exhibit what today in society we take as "manly" qualities and suppress the gentler qualities that are favored in girls. To me the man that can show kindness and gentleness as part of his nature can still be considered masculine; in fact, the confidence to do so might actually enhance it. I know men like that. My father was the first. And your other question?"
"Yes, I am wondering if you see changes in your lifetime in the way that women are viewed and treated. I understand that the author had a particularly difficult time growing up that may have contributed to her perspective. But I ask this in a broader sense in light of your topic which relates to the rise in feminism," Lucas told her.
"I am fortunate that I grew up with a father that believed that women could aspire to a life outside of the home. While my mother opted to be a homemaker in order to support my father's work in the diplomatic corps, both of them wanted me to have the choice or perhaps both worlds. A career and still be a wife and mother. But outside of my parents, yes, I do see things changing in terms of gender differences. I went after an academic career that puts me in a man's world. I think it did take more effort to prove myself, but the University of Alberta did give me this opportunity as a teacher and scholar. And my hope is that if I have my own daughter someday, she will not have to face the same challenges just because she is female. Just as I hope that my son can fill a vase with flowers, just as he can go hunting, without attribution to his gender. "
"Thank you, professor." He nodded to her. The flower reference did not slip by.
The Chancellor was in attendance. and had introduced her, came to podium. "Thank you, professor, for that very interesting lecture. Everyone, let us thank Professor MacKenna." The audience clapped and many moved forward to share their appreciation with a few words.
He waited until the crowd had dissipated and then ventured to the lectern. "That was a very interesting lecture and you delivered it with such passion. I enjoyed it very much." He had removed the paper; he handed her the flower. "Congratulations Arawyn," he whispered.
She looked at him with tears shining in her eyes as he kissed her hand. She had gotten the message. Words would be for another time, but she knew he loved her too.
"Thank you, Lucas," she whispered back.
He had had to rush to the train station to make their arrival. He could see Jack waving to him through the window as Allie stood to take his hand and lead them out. Bill followed behind.
Jack ran to him eagerly. It had been a while since he could pick him up, so he kneeled down to gather the boy up into a bear hug. "I missed you so much," he said. "Did you enjoy the ride?"
"Hi, Buddy, I missed you too. I liked the train ride. Uncle Bill took me to see the engineers!"
Lucas rose to his feet, keeping the boy close to his side. "Bill, welcome, thank you for accompanying them."
"Bouchard, it is good to see you. No problem, it has been a while since I have been out of Hope Valley. I was going to take the morning train back, but I will see if the hotel has a room for an extra night. I think I will stay and enjoy a big city for the day tomorrow," the men shook hands and hugged briefly.
"Nonsense, you will stay at my house. I have plenty of room. It is meant for a large family and out of town guests," Lucas told the man.
Allie jumped in, "he is not kidding Uncle Bill. The house is huge!"
"All right, if it is no trouble. I suppose I can tolerate a few of Gustave's meals," he chuckled and the others joined in.
"Be sure to tell him that and you will find yourself at the hotel after all," Lucas warned him. Bill laughed again. "This way," he indicated where they could retrieve their luggage from the porter and then they headed to Lucas' car.
They made their way to the Petersons first where Lucas helped Allie with her bags. They were met at the door by an excited Constance who had been watching for their arrival. She hugged Allie and then asked Lucas, "can you come in?"
"I think that we can wait until tomorrow for introductions if that is okay. Gustave is waiting for us and you know how grumpy he can get if we 'ruin' his feast," Lucas told her with a smile.
"Yes, the horror," she giggled. "We will see you in the morning when you drop Jack off," she said while waving down to the car where he was waving goodbye to Allie. "See you tomorrow, Jack," she called to him.
-
Jack never stopped talking the whole way home. He talked about new puppies that had showed up one day with their mother, an apparent stray. Bill added that some of them looked a lot like Scout, referring to Nathan's Mounty dog. Elizabeth had let Jack keep one of the puppies as she felt he was old enough now to take responsibility for it. Of course, she was stuck with its care for the next five days.
He talked about school and what they had been doing. Mostly he enjoyed the field trips it seemed. They had had a "bring a child to work day" something that they had done before in Hope Valley. Instead of following the Mounty as Lucas had assumed, he had opted for tagging along with Mike Hickam who was in charge of Buddy's saloon. Lucas thought it very flattering.
"Allie said you live in a big house. Does it have a drawbridge and a moat?" Jack asked him.
"No, fortunately we don't expect any invaders so there was no need for those. But there is a big iron fence and gate. " Lucas told the little boy while looking in the mirror to give him a smile. "We will be there in two minutes."
Jack marveled at the house; it was indeed huge, even bigger than his grandparents' in Hamilton. Lucas promised to give him a tour but first they had to go check in with Gustave. They entered the kitchen and Jack announced, "C'est moi, Jack."
"Jack, Bienvenu, it is good to see you young man. You have grown so much since I saw you last. Are you ready for some fine cuisine? I have made some of the favorites that you liked. Maybe your list has grown since you have? You will have to tell me so I can cook them while you are here."
"I still like macaroni and cheese the best, but I eat vegetables now too. Green beans are my favorite. And I like chicken and mashed potatoes. And I like chicken pot pie. Mama makes Shepard's pie and I like that too. I don't like mushrooms, yucky. And I don't like Brussel sprouts, they are yucky too."
Gustave told the little boy, "why don't I prepare a dinner menu each day and you can approve it, okay?" to which the boy nodded.
"Now speaking of dinner, we will eat in fifteen minutes. Everyone, go wash up," he said.
Lucas showed Jack where the nearest bathroom was and let him use it and then wash up. He waited so he would not get lost on his way back. "We will take a tour after dessert. I can show you your room and where mine is if you need me. You will meet Marcus at dinner, he works with me, and he will be with you if I can't be, okay? Margaret, the housekeeper will also help you if you need anything."
Jack nodded and took Lucas' hand in his. Lucas squeezed it. It felt good to have his touch again. Unconditional love was a wonderful feeling.
In the morning, they all had breakfast together. Gustave had made Jacks favorite, pancakes. He made them with faces out of blueberries. And warmed a little pitcher of maple syrup to drench them in. He was used to feeding Lucas who had a fondness for it.
Bill had caught Lucas up on the Hope Valley news once he had settled Jack down for the night. Things were pretty much status quo. Mike and Mei and their little one were doing well. The Queen was very busy now that summer had arrived. The hot springs were still a big draw after four years. The crime wave that had hit Hope Valley related to Prohibition and mob activity had died down. There had been peace and calm for the last year. He still was the judge and was grateful for the decline in business as was Nathan.
Lucas did not ask, but Bill told him Elizabeth and Nathan had still not moved forward in any new way. Bill said he expected an engagement soon, but he was not holding his breath. It seemed that for now they were content with the way things were.
Then Bill asked, "so how about you, any changes in that department? He knew that Lucas had not moved on when he had come through at Christmas time. But there was always hope.
"Well, I have finally begun to expand my social life. There are Ministry functions to attend but I have been persuaded by friends to join them in other social functions. In particular, Mary Peterson, the wife of James, the Minister of Agriculture, has become my mother hen, pushing me to go out more," Lucas explained. "And this very early to mention but I will; I have made a new friend. She is a Professor at the University of Alberta here in Edmonton. We met when Allie came for her interview. We have just begun to see each other socially," Lucas said casually.
Bill had sat at a poker table often enough with Lucas to recognize his poker face. He was hiding his hand for sure. Bill guessed that the man was more than a little interested in the Professor.
"Well, glad to hear it. If you do not mind, I think I will take some warm milk up with me and try to sleep."
Lucas led Bill to the kitchen and put a pot of milk on to warm. He decided to make himself some herbal tea. He was hoping to do a couple of hours of reading on "The Voyage Out".
Lucas packed a small bag for Jack to take to the Peterson's including a change of clothes if needed, along with a warm sweater. He didn't bother with toys because he knew Mary had some of her son's in a basket up in the room that she still kept for him. Bill came along with them so he could meet the family. Then Lucas would drop him off downtown.
Allie and Constance took charge of Jack while Lucas introduced Bill to the Petersons. After a few minutes of small talk, Lucas said he was due for a meeting in his office shortly and needed to be on his way.
He brought Bill in to show him where his office was located so he could make his way back at 5:00 for a ride back to the house. He made sure to write down his phone numbers and house address just in case Bill needed them. He also made arrangements to meet Bill for lunch at the café that he and Arawyn enjoyed right by the university. It was easy enough for Bill to meet him there at 1:00.
He decided to get some exercise, so he walked to the café instead of driving. He arrived more than a quarter of an hour early but decided to go in and read a bit of the book he had brought with him. He entered and there she was just finishing her lunch as she graded papers.
"Arawyn, "he said. "Now my day is complete."
She looked up at him, "Lucas, you should have told me you would be here, and I would have joined you for lunch."
"Well, I did not plan it exactly. I told you about Bill, the man that escorted Allie and Jack. Well, he decided to stay a day in Edmonton, and we decided when I dropped him off in town that we would meet for lunch," Lucas told her.
"Sit down, I can only stay another little while as I have to get back. Here let me clear these papers." She put them in her satchel and then turned her focus back to him.
He set the book down on the table. "Your lecture encouraged me to try this again. I am going to show you something that may make you a bit envious," he said. He then opened the cover to reveal Virginia Woolf's signature. "She signed two copies for me when I attended a book reading in Union City with Elizabeth. We were not a couple then, but I knew that she would enjoy the reading and obtained tickets through a friend."
"I envy that you got to attend a reading and that you spoke with her and have a signed copy of her first novel," Arawyn said impressed. "Did you enjoy the reading?" she asked?
"Well, I was not a particular fan. I took Elizabeth because I knew she would enjoy it. She read the book before we went, and I had to plead ignorance. I barely made it through the first chapter the night before," he told her as she giggled.
"Anything for love," she said.
"I suppose that was true. But you will find that making others happy is where I get my biggest pleasure. I suppose it may have something to do with my being an only child. I tried to please my parents whenever I could. I did not want to be a burden in their busy lives. As I grew older, I used to find little ways to make my mother happy. It became a lifelong habit," Lucas told her.
"I can see that. You are the most thoughtful person I know. You think about the gifts you give. They do not have to be extravagant, but they often have special meaning," she told him.
"I hope you got my message last evening; it does come with words that I hope to say to you someday," Lucas told her.
"They are words I hope to hear someday," she said. He knew she understood the meaning of a red rose to him. She knew her Robert Burns.
Just then Bill made his appearance. Well, it could not be helped; "let the teasing begin," he told himself. He rose to his feet and signaled for Bill to join them.
"I would like to introduce Bill Avery; Bill is the judge in Hope Valley. As I mentioned he escorted Allie and Jack on the train. Bill, this is Professor Arawyn MacKenna."
Arawyn extended her hand to Bill, and he shook it before sitting in the seat next to Lucas. "It is a pleasure to meet a friend of Lucas'." Lucas thought he heard a certain emphasis on the way he said the word 'friend' like there were quotation marks around it. But perhaps it was just his imagination.
"Yes," said Arawyn, "we met by chance because of Allie's interview back in mid-June and we then ran into one another at a couple of social functions." She did not elaborate. "It is a pleasure to meet another of Bill's acquaintances from Hope Valley. I believe I will be meeting Jack later at St. Joachim's Church. I don't know if Lucas mentioned to you that he and Jack will be coming there this evening for dinner; I volunteer there a few days a week for a woman's group I belong to. You are welcome to join us if you are still in town.
"Yes, I would like to very much," he was dying to get more scoop on the 'friendship' as it were. "I will be staying until the morning train to Hope Valley," he told her.
"Well, I must run. I have a meeting with one of our doctoral candidates shortly. I hope to see you again this evening." She stood and the men stood with her. She nodded at the men and left the café.
"Well now…" Bill mused.
"Why don't we order lunch before you begin your inquisition," Lucas told him. He signaled the server to come take their order.
"Well, you did not mention that a certain professor 'friend' was an incredible beauty," Bill told him.
"No. I did not want to diminish her other impressive qualities. And besides, I figured that Allie would have already sung her praises during your trip to Edmonton. Anything she might have said about my relationship with her is pure supposition I assure you," Lucas told him.
"Yes, I did get a heads up about the fiery beauty of the fair Arawyn. But my guess is the professor may have you more than a bit attracted. I know you Lucas, she is obviously highly intelligent, her field of study is right up your alley, and she is not only beautiful, but her beauty is unique…. those sea green eyes could drown a man if he weren't holding on tightly to something.," Bill summed it up.
Lucas could feel the blush reach his cheeks, "is that all?" he asked him.
"Am I right? Remember now I am a lawman and a judge, which makes me an observer of people," Bill told him.
"Okay, yes, Arawyn and I are becoming close friends very quickly. It is more than that... this could be important, and we are treating it accordingly. If I have learned one thing from my previous romantic experience, it is "seize not only the day but the moment. I do not plan to let this slip past me if she is The One," Lucas told him with a serious tone.
"I concur with your attitude. I have let love slip by before too," Bill told him.
Lucas and Bill headed to pick up Allie and Jack to take them to the church. Arawyn was in the kitchen speaking with the cook. Lucas knew where to get the aprons, so he handed one to Allie and Bill and put on his own. He found one that he could fold over and use on Jack. He had insisted he needed one too. He then set Bill and Allie bringing the plates and glasses out to the dining room.
"What can I do, Buddy?" asked Jack.
He helped Jack up on a barstool next to the side table where the napkins and flatware were kept. He showed him how to roll a place setting in the napkin and stack them in the metal box. He watched him until he had made a few, with deep concentration on his task.
Lucas came up behind her and tugged on one braid, "good evening, Arawyn," he said.
She jumped by quickly recovered as soon as she heard the voice, "good evening, Lucas. Did you bring Jack and Bill with you?" she asked.
"Allie too. She and Bill are carrying plates and glasses to the dining area and Jack is rolling flatware into napkins. Come meet him if you have a moment," Lucas told her.
She turned to the cook and said, "we will be back to fill the warmers in a few minutes," she told her and then followed Lucas to where Jack was sitting. "Oh, what an adorable boy," she thought to herself.
"Jack, I'd like to have you meet someone." He waited for the boy to turn around. "This is the professor that Allie has told you about. Her name is Arawyn MacKenna. You may call her Miss MacKenna."
"Arawyn, I would like you to meet my buddy, Jack Thornton, Jr."
Arawyn held her hand out to the boy who shook it vigorously. "It is nice to meet you. Jack. I am glad we have your help this evening," she said.
"It is nice to meet you, Miss MacKenna. "You have pretty hair and pretty eyes he said. Is it okay if I draw your picture later?"
"Why thank you, Jack. And yes, you may draw me if you like. Will you draw two pictures so I can keep one?" she asked. He nodded in answer.
"Miss MacKenna likes pretty pebbles like you do Jack. Perhaps she will come with us on Saturday afternoon to show you where to find some beautiful ones on the beach by a lake," Lucas said.
"Yes, please!" he said excitedly. "Can you show me?" he asked her.
"Why of course I will. But I may need your help here afterwards, I work that day," she told him.
"Why is it that I forget that you work on Saturday?" He hadn't this time, but he was hoping she could come after the lunch service, and he would have her back in time for the evening meal. He smiled at her; she had not believed him when he told her he forgot, just as he knew she would not. "Why don't you help Jack with his chore for a while and I will get directions from cook. I can get the serving dishes ready and then Bill and I can carry them out.
"That sounds like the perfect plan. I am not so much a feminist as to refuse a man willing to haul the heavy containers out. I am selective in my feminist ways," she told him with a smile.
"Please do not take away all my pleasures. Door opening and helping a lady in and out of a car included," he told her.
She chuckled at his insistence in playing the gentleman. "You are allowed," she said.
Together they served the evening meal and helped clear. Just as last time a group of women volunteered to wash the dishes and put things away. Arawyn collected the children for the story time; they were joined by Allie and Jack.
"Who would like Mr. Bouchard to read to you again tonight?" she asked the group.
A round of "I do's," with clapping ensued.
"Shall we have another adventure of Robin Hood and his merry men? Perhaps this one will have Maid Marian in it too."
"Yes please!" was the consensus. He knew that Jack would love the tale even if he had heard it long ago. Arawyn handed him the book and he found the place he wanted. He showed them all the first illustration, and then began his tale.
Bill stood to one side at a distance, not wanting to distract the children who were enthralled in the tale. He thought about what a great father Lucas would make if he got the chance. He had observed him with Jack when he was half his current age and he had seen how he was with Allie and other of the older children like Robert who was now a grown man.
Arawyn came over to invite him to sit at one of the tables closer but behind the children so they would not be distracted. "He is an amazing storyteller," she whispered to him.
"Yes, he is, and he is a great teacher too. He had several opportunities to substitute for our schoolteacher. And has been sought out by the older children for consultation. Once he helped them learn how to negotiate a plan for sharing time at the hot springs with the tourists," he told her. "I was just thinking about what a great father he will be if he ever gets a chance. What do you think?"
She began to feel the blush spread on her cheeks as he looked at her. The inuendo was clear. "Yes, I believe he will make an excellent father someday." She lowered her eyes, unable to keep eye contact any longer.
"I am sorry if I made you uncomfortable," Bill told her.
"It is the curse of someone with my complexion to blush," she told him smiling. "Hiding emotions is very tough."
"It is endearing that a woman of such stature would still show her emotions in such a manner," Bill told her. "Jack tells me he is going to draw your picture. It shows that even at 8 years old he has excellent taste."
She rolled her eyes as the flush returned, "now you are not playing fair." She joined him as he laughed; it felt good to laugh and she did so with such joy.
Lucas was facing them, and he could hear their burst of laughter over the children who were laughing over a funny moment in the story. He smiled, glad that she was talking to Bill and to Jack. She was a natural people person, yet another thing to love about her. "I love her," he thought to himself. That is what the red rose had told her, he now was saying it to himself, it would not be long before he would not be able to contain it any longer.
He returned to the story and soon he concluded it with relish. The children clapped their approval. Jack came forward to stand next to him. "I liked it, Buddy. I miss your stories. I am learning to read. Can I show you at bedtime?"
"Of course you can. I am looking forward to having you read me a bedtime story for a change." Lucas poked the boy in the side, and he giggled. "We better round up Allie and Bill and Miss MacKenna, so we can drop everyone off where their bed is." Jack giggled again with the idea that they might get the houses mixed up.
They first stopped at the Peterson house and said good night to Allie. He then drove Bill and Jack to his house. "Jack, will you put on your pajamas and brush your teeth and get ready for bed? I will drop off Miss MacKenna and be back very soon. Bill, if you want something to read you can browse the library. I will join you as soon as I get Jack tucked in and he reads me a story."
"Good night, Miss MacKenna. Remember the beach," Jack said.
"I will not forget. Good night, Jack, sweet dreams. You too Bill, good night," she said.
"Good night, Professor."
They drove to her house in silence, it was only a few minutes away. He parked and turned toward her. "Thank you for another lovely evening. I enjoy volunteer nights very much."
"We appreciate your help, and the children love your stories," she told him.
"I heard you and Bill laughing loudly; I don't think it was the story," he joked.
"We were actually laughing at my propensity for blushing. Bill began causing it on purpose. I can hear your brain working. You want to know how he had made me blush," she said knowing that she had hit the nail on the head.
"Well, are you going to tell me, or do I have to beg?" he asked her.
"We were discussing your qualifications for future fatherhood," she told him.
Thank goodness he was not a pale redhead, or he would have turned tomato red. "Interesting and what brought about that discussion."
"I commented on what a good storyteller you are, and he told me he was watching and listening and had thought you would make an excellent father. He looked at me and the inuendo made me blush. Once he figured out the curse, he then poked at it by telling me that Jack had great taste because at 8 years old he wanted to draw my picture, we both started laughing when I told him he was now making me blush intentionally."
"Well, your blush is very endearing, Arawyn. And he is a man, so he has noticed how beautiful you are. He told me so," Lucas told her. "I think you are beautiful; your eyes are sea green pools I could drown in, and that fiery hair gives you the look of passion, that mouth with the bottom lip I want to pull on with my teeth, and that melodious voice and laugh that makes me believe in the magic of the sea nymphs." He reached out in the dark; he could barely make out her features, but he placed one hand on her face to feel her blush since he could not make it out in the dim light.
"I wish I didn't have to go but I have a boy waiting to show me his new reading skills," he told her.
"Of course, just walk me to my door and I will say good night," she told him.
He held her hand as they walked up to her front door. "Thanks for the help tonight," she said.
"My pleasure." He wanted to kiss her but did not want their first kiss to be here on the porch where someone might open the door.
He kissed two of his fingers and gently touched them to her lips. He heard her soft moan that almost had him change his mind; he audibly groaned. He held her upper arms and kissed her forehead. "You have me bewitched Arawyn MacKenna. I ache to hold you. Now go," he told her. She obeyed with reluctance and blew him a kiss off her palm as she slowly closed the door behind her.
Bill had gotten Jack to bed, and they were chatting when Lucas arrived. He sat on the edge of the bed to get his story. Bill headed down to the library to wait for him. Jack had brought a couple of readers with him. He opened one and read a story about a rabbit who lost his way and a squirrel who helps him find his home again.
"Great job, Jack. You are going to be reading about Robin Hood yourself before long. Good night, Buddy, sleep well." He turned off the light and left the door ajar, so he was not in complete darkness and then headed down to have a brandy with Bill.
"I like your friend very much, Lucas. In addition to being intelligent and exceptionally beautiful, she is sweet and personable and obviously generous with her time. The children love her; even Jack is smitten," Bill told him.
"She is a special person," he said trying to avoid a more serious discussion.
"Do you feel butterflies? Are their sparks on both sides?"
Lucas nodded slowly.
"Then what are you waiting for Lucas? Seize the day, remember?"
"I am ready for what is next. I have not kissed her yet. Well, her hand and forehead. But I know it will be like touching fire in the best possible way. We danced the tango, and it was the single most sensuous experience of my life. It affected her as well. We were playing with fire; tempered only by the presence of an audience," Lucas told him honestly. He had to tell someone.
"Do not wait too long to tell her how you feel, my man. I can see the look in her eyes when she looks at you. She is a woman in love, there is not a single doubt in my mind. It is good that you are spending a lot of time together, but you do not need to know everything; you have a lifetime to discover one another. Just make sure that you can support each other's goals; two working people have to be sure they can find balance. Make sure you both want to have a family; I know you do but have you asked her? You both are highly intellectual, love literature, enjoy music, both the symphony and dancing. And as you love literature, I am going to venture to say that you both love the theater. It sounds like she can eat in a simple café or go out for fine dining. And you have mentioned that she enjoys walking and being outdoors and that she is well travelled."
"Bill, you are right. She is really perfect for me. She is intelligent, book smart as it were, but she also has a quick wit and can read between the lines. We enjoy good banter and can both follow the clues of a good game. She has a sweet disposition but is not a retreating flower. She is not afraid to be open and up front with her opinions. She is a selective feminist as she puts it; she can be a woman in every sense of the word but hold her own in a world of men. I love her Bill, and I am falling in love as well. She bewitched me from the start. But I have been burned by 'love at first sight' before. I had just opened my heart and she was there. It is like it is meant to be."
"You need to grab the brass ring as Carson called it… just don't let it pass you by," Bill counseled him.
"I will not. With Allie and Jack here, it will be hard to spend time together, but as soon as I come back from my trip north, I will talk to her. My parents are actually coming for the weekend when I get back. I am hosting a dinner party for the Petersons and Hastings while they are here. That way they can meet Arawyn without her feeling the pressure of the "meet the parents" so early in our relationship. We have decided to discuss how to introduce her when it is closer to their visit. Everything is happening so fast."
"They will love her. I know that Helen was close to Elizabeth and loved her because you did. But I think it will take her little time to see that the professor suits you even more than Elizabeth did. She is braver than Elizabeth without a doubt. And I think you have met your match. Not to make light of what you had with Elizabeth, but she has made a choice to stay tied to Hope Valley. I thought she was ready to fly, but somehow, she retreated when her grief for Jack surfaced again. She truly loved you; I think she still does, but she always had worried about tying you down even though you were willing. She knew that you could do great things for so many and when the need arose, she had to let you go. It was not just out of selfish need, but out of love too," Bill told him.
Lucas felt a tear slide down his cheek. He loved her and told her he would love her forever, and he would. But she was not to be his. He had accepted that. Seeing Jack again made him remember the good times between the three of them. But he knew that he had found true love again. This time he had found someone who could love him without another man, her husband, in her heart. And now she had Nathan who it seemed she would marry. He was ready to move on without any regret. He needed to speak with Arawyn soon.
